Key-changing device for wind musical instruments.



E. w. SGHUST ER. KEY CHANGING DEVICE FOR WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNST W. SCHUSTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

KEY-CHANGING DEVICE FOR WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNST W. Scrrusrnn, a subject of the Kaiser of the German Empire, resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Key- Changing Devices for lVind Musical Instruments; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of the invention on the line 11 Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 22 Fig. 1.

The invention has relation to my changing devices for wind musical instruments, having for its object to provide improved means for enabling the musician to play in any key desired at an instants notice, without his having the technical knowledge or skill ordinarily required in t-ransposing.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, the numeral 1, designates the main tube of the instrument, which is divided at 2, a cylindrical casing 3, being interposed in such divided portion of the tube, the adjacent ends of said tube being curved outward in the same direction at 4, 4!, to register with perforations 5, 5, in the cylindrical wall 6, of said casing, said perforations being separated from each other by an interval 7. Mounted upon said casing to turn closely thereupon is an outer cylinder 8, which is provided with a plurality of separate curved tubes 9 and 10 of general U-form, and of different lengths, two only of said tubes being shown. These tubes in the rotation or turning of the outer cylinder are adapted at their open ends 11, and 12, to register with the perforations Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 24, 1912.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

Serial No. 679,582.

4, 4, of said casing, whereby the length of the air column of the instrumentis varied according to which of the curved tubes is employed to carry the air from one branch of the main tube to the other, thus changing the key in which the instrument is to be played to correspond. A suitable number of the curved tubes 9 and 10 is employed in connection with the outer cylinder to make the desired changes to play in different keys.

In the use of my invention, the outer cylinder is turned by hand to bring the desired curved tube 9 or 10 into play, suitable means being provided to temporarily stop the outer cylinder when the curved tube selected is exactly in register with the perforations of the casing, said means consisting preferably of a series of recesses 13 in the end wall 14 of the cylinder 3 and a spring device 15 attached to the outer cylinder preferably by means of a sleeve 17, fixed upon said cylinder, said spring device hav ing an end 16 which is adapted to engage with or snap into any one of said recesses as it comes into line therewith. A further movement of the outer cylinder will cause a disengagement of the spring from its recess, when the spring is ready for engagement with another recess.

Having thus described my invention,

what I claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent is 1. In a wind musical instrument, a tube having curved portions provided with open ends separated from each other by an interval, a cylindrical casing mounted upon said tube and having perforations registering with the open ends of said curved portions, an outer rotatable cylinder upon said casing, and curved tubes of varying lengths carried by said outer cylinder and adapted at their ends to register with said open ends of the curved portions.

2. In a wind musical instrument, a tube having curved portions provided with open ends separated from each other by an interval, a cylindrical casing mounted upon said tube and having perforations registering of said curved tubes is exactly in register with the open ends of said curve-d portions, With said open ends of the curved portions. 10 an outer rotatable cylinder upon said ces- In testimony whereof I afiix my signeing curved tubes of varying lengths curried ture, in presence of two Witnesses.

\ by said outer cylinder and adopted at their ERNST 'W. SCHUSTER ends to register with said open ends of the Witnesses: curved portions, and means for temporarily ULRlKA Sorrus'rnn, stopping said outer cylinder when any one GUSTAV NIOKEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1) G. 

